The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-06-10

! The Falrmount News published a IL
page edition, giving q very crcditable
history Of the natural gas enterprise al
Paramount, Grant county. where they
claim to have the Iarges, output from an
one well in America. and giving also a
history Of the town aud It's business
men, and an interesting collection OF ex-
tracts from opinions OF papers and sci-
cntsts- Its edition will be worth thou
sands OF inha bitsnts TO swell the boom
of Fairmount We extract from il a.
follows:
| will the Gas Last?
| Under this heading the opinion OF
"Thc Traveller" Of the Inter Ocean, Is as
follows:
| Il think 80, and history bears me out
In that belief. China has used nasura,
gas for centuries, so lis written. and in
the coal fields OF England this gas has
been known for probably . century In
our own West Virginia and Pennsylya-
lnia gas has been known for about forty
years. though not put TO practical use till
lately. hut it Is on record that a natural
gas spring At Fredonia, N. r., has been
burning since 1921. and is still doing bu-
siness for its owner. No force or factor
I'm nature has been found exhaustible BY
man. and just why natural gas should
prove an exception cannot surmise.
Let US hope. then, that the gas has come
ito stay. IN which event the whole OF the
gas bel. will soon be dotted with man
ufactories, and every feot OF land be-
come Of extra value"
DESCRIPTION OF THE RIG
That many who are not familiar with
THE necessary peraphernalis attend
ling the drilling for natural gas, we sub
INIT the following description, from the
|pcn Of Mr.. Irwin, who had charge Of the
work or drilling "Jumbo:v
1T takes about IA 900 or 1900 feet Of
lumber TO complete rig, derrick tim
bers and everything. There are from
twenty-five 10 thirty sticks Of timber,
the principal sticks being the main-sill.
sub-sil and walking beam. The main
sill il thirty feet long and IS % feet
square. The walking beam is twenty
six feet long. four feet In the center, Is
|l2x2l, aud from two feet from the GEN.
ter tapers to twelve inches square at the
|end. The sub-silI IL eighteen feet long
and l6 X IS square. Besides these siicks
there are mud-sills, pony-sills, jack
posts, bull-wbeel posts, sampson post,
derrick sills, bull heel SHAFT, crown
block and others. The building of the
rig 10 about in the following order: The
heavy mud-sills are first placed, then the
main-siii on top OF them, gains are cut
IN the siIls and the msin-sill keyed into
them solid. A line IL then struck on the
main-silI at . particular angle. and the
whole rig 10 buiit with reference 20 that
line. Next comes tho lay ing Of the der |
rick foundation, which is composed OF.
eight derrick eiils, four around the base |
and four on top to support the derrick |
floor. The derrick Is twenty feet square
~ the base and "a feet Al The top. the av-
erage height being seveuty.two feet. |,
The most particular part Of the work IL
getting the different wheels all in line
y iih each other, 90 that the large belts
and ropes will run nicely in their re \,
.pective places without flying OF. After
he carpenters get done aud away, then
'ome the drillers and their tool dressers, ii
y no 90 IL work at placing the machine !,
~, or what they call rigging up and
n two days time they are ready to COM
y cnce perforating the earth in search OIL
hatcyer they can ind, and work be- II
rims In dead earnest. Machinery neces- II
AIRY for this part Of the work generally !
osis in the Deighborhood OF 81, GOO or 7
a 800 and consists Of q 90 horse power y
roller, IL or 15-horse power engine, an /
uger stem cable, sand line. Get or jars, !
Jig hole bits. small hole bite. sinker bar, !
and pump, bailer, rope socket, temper 7
crew, etc. Their first work, after the \
rigging up is 'spudding in which they
ontinuc until depth Of about 100 crl
- feet is reached. when they hitch
%" to the walking beam. The weight
4 the auger stem Is from 1000 to l.l0o {
'ounds, from 80 TO 40 feet long, and 81 I
inches through. The stem that drilled j
he Jumbo well here IL 36 feet long, and q
Weighs about 200 pounds. After ev- &
rything was in readiness and drilling '
ommenced, the following stratas oflc
ock was penetrated: q
Quicksand. 8 feet. l.